Self-Build

The Self-Build movement helps prospective homeowners fully participate in the design and creation of their new home. According to self build market research by the magazine 'Homebuilding & Renovating', around 12,000 self builds took place during 2012 <ref>Housebuilding & Renovating Magazine Market Report 2012 http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/press-room/market-report-q3-2012</ref>, making it the single largest housebuilder in the UK . It is a movement responsible for 1 in 3 of all detached new homes.

Self-Build: The Big Idea

Self building is the unique opportunity to design a home that suits an owners needs, lifestyle and budget. Most 'self builders' will start with the location and purchase of their building plot, as well as selecting the range of professionals they wish to hire. Self-build allows a homeowner to be involved in the creative side of the process – formulating a design brief for the architect or house designer; selecting a builder, and choosing the internal and external fixtures and fittings. There is a large and growing supply of free, govt. and commercial support online for anyone considering Self-Build as an option - see sites listed below.

Misconceptions

Self-build does not necessarily mean picking up bricks and physically getting stuck in on site. In fact, less than 10% of all homebuilding projects involve the owner being significantly involved with the actual building process.

'Self-build' should not be confused with 'Custom-Build' which is the term used to describe where developers create large estates of individual serviced plots with planning permission and encourage individuals to specify their own design and build on them. This process is popular in the US, Canada and Australia.

See Also In Chimni

ChimniWiki Passivhaus

Other Interesting Web Sites

The Self-Build Portal http://www.selfbuildportal.org.uk/ A government endorsed site set up by the National Custom & Self Build Association

Community Build http://www.communitybuild.org.uk/ A site where budding self-builders can search for land and chat with like-minded individuals

PlotFinder http://www.plotfinder.net/ The leading website for buying and selling land for Self-Build in the UK

The Planning Portal http://www.planningportal.gov.uk A 'one stop shop' for anyone wishing to find out about the planning process in England & Wales

The Build Hub http://www.thebuildhub.co.uk/ A website and discussion forum where you can chat with other self-builders and compare notes and case studies

Designing Buildings http://www.designingbuildings.co.uk A free-to-use, open-access plan for the organisation, design and construction of self-build homes

E-Build http://www.ebuild.co.uk/ A forum for the self-build community.

Books We Liked

Broome, Jon (2007). The Green Self-Build Book: How to design and build your own eco-home. Foxhole, Dartington, Totnes, Devon: Green Books. ISBN 978-1-903998-73-1. Pollan, Michael (1997). A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-41532-9.

References

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